WEBVTT - Why Are Dogs’ Noses Wet?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren vog Obam here. If you've ever shared a home

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<v Speaker 1>with a dog, you've probably had the startling experience of,

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<v Speaker 1>while minding your own business, having a cold, wet nose

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<v Speaker 1>thrust into your skin like a friendly ice cube. It's

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<v Speaker 1>your pup's way of getting your attention, and it's an

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<v Speaker 1>old wives tale that's such a wet nose is a

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<v Speaker 1>good thing because it supposedly means your dog is in

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<v Speaker 1>good health. But this idea has no basis. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>whether a dog has a wet nose is not a

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<v Speaker 1>signal one way or another of health. But why are

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<v Speaker 1>dogs noses sometimes dry and sometimes wet. The short answer

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<v Speaker 1>is that dogs sometimes lick their noses, But the catch

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<v Speaker 1>is that no one knows for sure why they do that.

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<v Speaker 1>One theory suggests that because dogs are always licking their noses,

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<v Speaker 1>their saliva helps paint their schnas with the mucus produced

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<v Speaker 1>in the nostrils. As a result, all that mucus looking

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<v Speaker 1>improves a dog's ability to smell things. Let's break down

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<v Speaker 1>how that works. When dogs sniff the air, and they

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<v Speaker 1>are always sniffing the air, they inhale tiny suspended particles.

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<v Speaker 1>These particles get trapped in their nasal mucus, which helps

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<v Speaker 1>the dog figure out what they're smelling. As a dog

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<v Speaker 1>licks its nose, it picks up some of these scent

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<v Speaker 1>Latin goop. The tongue then brushes against an olfactory gland

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<v Speaker 1>on the roof of the mouth, which helps our four

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<v Speaker 1>legged companions figure out exactly what they're smelling. Another reason

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<v Speaker 1>some have suggested could be that a wet nose helps

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<v Speaker 1>keep a dog cool in warm weather. When we humans sweat,

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<v Speaker 1>the perspiration are sweat glands produce evaporates off of our skin,

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<v Speaker 1>cooling us down. Dogs, however, do not sweat. That's because

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<v Speaker 1>they have no sweat glands except from the bottom of

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<v Speaker 1>their pop haads. Instead, they pant to cool off. However,

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<v Speaker 1>a dog's nose, unlike the rest of its body, is

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<v Speaker 1>not covered in fur. It also brims with blood vessels.

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<v Speaker 1>When a dog licks its nose, the theory suggests it's

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<v Speaker 1>cooling itself down as it's saliva like human sweat, evaporates

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<v Speaker 1>that leaves the surface area of the no cool along

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<v Speaker 1>with the blood circulating in and around Fido's snout. Consequently,

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<v Speaker 1>cooler blood flows the dog's head and body, keeping our

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<v Speaker 1>best friends a little bit cooler. But then, why are

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<v Speaker 1>dogs noses often dry? A few factors can lead to

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<v Speaker 1>less licking. Touch your dog's nose in the morning, chances

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<v Speaker 1>are it'll be dries the sahara. That's because as a

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<v Speaker 1>dog sleeps, it rarely licks its nose, and certain breeds

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<v Speaker 1>like bulldogs and pugs, have noses that are mostly dry.

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<v Speaker 1>Age also tends to make a dog nose dryer. The

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<v Speaker 1>bottom line is that if your dog has a dry nose,

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<v Speaker 1>chill out. The dog isn't sick. Wait a few hours

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<v Speaker 1>and it will be wet again. Oh and a bonus

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<v Speaker 1>pup nose fact. Have you noticed that your dog has

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<v Speaker 1>slits on the sides of its nose. There's a reason

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<v Speaker 1>when dogs exhale, they do so out of those slits.

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<v Speaker 1>That's so that the exhaled air does not mix with

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<v Speaker 1>the scented inhaled air, which flows into the nostrils. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>episode was written by John Paritano and produced by Tyler Clang.

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<v Speaker 1>For more in this and lots of other startling topics,

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<v Speaker 1>visit our home planet, how Stuff Works dot Com.